A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device with a bonus scheme wherein the player takes part in a competition, the success of which determines the player""s bonus award.
Gaming machines currently exist with bonus schemes in which a player has one or more opportunities to choose bonus awards that are initially masked from a group of symbols arranged in a pattern displayed to the player. When the player chooses a masked symbol from the pattern, the bonus scheme removes the mask and either awards the player with a bonus value or terminates the bonus round with a bonus terminator. The outcome depends upon whether the player selects an award or a terminator. The controller of the gaming machine randomly places a predetermined number of bonus awards and bonus terminators in the pattern at the beginning of the bonus round and maintains the positioning until the bonus round terminates.
When the player selects a symbol that awards a bonus value, the player receives bonus credits, the bonus scheme typically displays a message that the player may continue and enables the player to select another symbol. The player then selects another masked symbol, and the process continues until the player selects a bonus round terminator. European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 filed on Mar. 18, 1999 and assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. discloses a bonus scheme of this type.
In the above type of scheme, a prior selection does not affect the current selection except to the extent that one less selection possibility exists. The bonus scheme may also end quite quickly if the player selects a bonus terminator early in the bonus round. While the European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 discloses a xe2x80x9cbonus resourcexe2x80x9d that a player may obtain during the base game of the gaming device, which the player can thereafter apply during the bonus round, the xe2x80x9cbonus resourcexe2x80x9d may only extend the life of the bonus round momentarily before the player again selects a bonus terminator. The application discloses that the xe2x80x9cbonus resourcexe2x80x9d is not certain to occur in the base game, so that the player may not have a bonus resource in the bonus round. Finally, the player blindly selects masked symbols until selecting the bonus terminator, which is immediately displayed. The player sees only the result, an award or a terminator.
Bonus schemes provide gaming manufacturers with the opportunity to add enjoyment and excitement to that which is already expected from the base game. Excitement and enjoyment increases when the level of interaction between the bonus scheme increases and also when the bonus round remains compelling for an extended period of time. It is therefore desirable to create a bonus scheme in which a current selection relates to or impacts a later selection. It is also desirable to provide a bonus round that remains compelling for an extended period of time even if the player does not ultimately fare well in the bonus round. Finally, a bonus scheme can increase excitement and enjoyment by depicting the success or failure during the bonus scheme, not merely the end result.
The apparatus and method of the present invention provides a gaming device having a bonus scheme wherein the player takes part in a contest, competition, event or situation, the success of which determines the player""s bonus award. The gaming device provides the player with a predetermined number of chances to advance to a higher bonus score. The game preferably provides the same number of chances regardless of the player""s performance. The outcome of each player selection directly affects the player""s chances for success in a later selection and the player""s chances for obtaining the highest bonus award possible. The gaming device also displays, in accordance with the theme of the competition, how the player fairs in the competition.
In general, when the reels of the base game of the present invention contain symbols that trigger the bonus round, the game initializes and displays a competitive environment, contest, event or situation. The preferred embodiment is an automobile racetrack with nine cars in nine positions, first to ninth, in which a player is initially in the position of ninth place. The race begins and runs for eight laps. In each lap, the player (who acts as the driver) has one opportunity to pass the preceding car by choosing either to pass to the left or to the right of the preceding car. The gaming device stores a database having a success probability for each lap, wherein the probability of success preferably decreases as the player advances.
When the player selects to pass left or pass right, the game invokes the database and displays a dynamic video computer generated, animated or combined audio-visual enactment of a driver attempting to pass to the chosen side. The display shows a successful pass or a failed attempt. The player proceeds in this manner to pass as many cars as possible in eight laps, with the odds of passing preferably decreasing as the player passes each preceding car or competitor. The player""s position at the end of eight laps determines the bonus award, wherein the closer the player is to first place, the higher the bonus award.
The game is preferably displayed on a video monitor, and the video monitor preferably contains a touch screen for the player to input signals, such as whether the player wishes to pass to the left or to the right of the preceding car. The game consists of a plurality of screens shown on the video monitor. An initial screen displays the gaming arena which is preferably a racetrack. The screen shows a leader board having a plurality of positions, a race car in each position (one of which is the player), and a multiplier for each position. Preferably, the multiplier increases as the positions advance from ninth to first.
The initial screen also contains at least one and preferably two or more action activators. When the player selects one of the activators, the game switches screens and displays an audio-visual enactment of the competition using the player""s selection. The enactment shows the player (or driver representing the player) attempting to pass the preceding car on the left or on the right, whichever the player has selected, and ultimately shows a successful or unsuccessful pass attempt. After the enactment, the game returns the player to the initial screen, wherein the player again selects one of the activators. If the previous attempt has been successful, the player attempts to pass a new car. If not, the player attempts to pass the same car. If the player is successful, the player advances on the leader board.
The implementor of the gaming device can set the multipliers on the leader board to increase linearly or non-linearly in accordance with the game theme and to enhance player excitement and enjoyment. Also, the implementor ordinarily sets the probabilities of advancement from one position to the next to decrease in accordance with the increase of the multipliers. As the multipliers increase, the probabilities of success decrease. When the player fails to advance and returns to the initial screen to make another attempt, the probability of advancement preferably stays the same but alternatively may increase or decrease.
The player continues to attempt to advance by selecting to pass left or pass right until the player makes eight selections, at which time the bonus round ends. In an alternative embodiment, the game could allow more selections than there are positions in which case the bonus round could end when the player reaches the most valuable position on the leader board. At the end of the bonus round, the game retrieves a bonus multiplier from a database in memory that corresponds to the player""s final position on the leader board. The game""s processor multiplies the multiplier by the player""s current base game bet and displays the new total of base game credits. The bonus scheme preferably contains an additional credit display on the initial screen of the touch screen.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device with a competitive bonus scheme.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gaming device with a bonus round which remains compelling for an extended period of time even if the player does not ultimately fare well in the bonus round.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a gaming device with a bonus round which illustrates an audiovisual depiction of the success or failure of the bonus scheme, not merely the end result.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.